Sports arenas typically include a game area where the game occurs, a seating area where the spectators sit and a wall of some kind separating the two areas. Typically, the wall is at least partially covered with advertisements from the companies which sponsor the game. When the game is formed, the advertisements on the wall are filmed as part of the sports arena. The advertisements cannot be presented to the public at large unless they are filmed by the television cameras.
Systems are known which merge predefined advertisements onto surfaces in a video of a sports arena. One system has an operator define a target surface in the arena. The system then locks on the target surface and merges a predetermined advertisement with the portion of the video stream corresponding to the surface. When the camera ceases to look at the surface, the system loses the target surface and the operator has to indicate again which surface is to be utilized.
The above-described system operates in real-time. Other systems are known which perform essentially the same operation but not in real-time.
Other systems for merging data onto a video sequence are known. These include inserting an image between video scenes, superposition of image data at a fixed location of the television frame (such as of television station logos) and even electronic insertion of image data as a "replacement" of a specific targeted billboard. The latter is performed using techniques such as color keying.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,264,933 describes an apparatus and method of altering video images to enable the addition of advertising images to be part of the image originally displayed. The operator selects where in the captured image the advertising image is to be implanted. The system of U.S. Pat. No. 5,264,933 can also implant images, in selected main broadcasting areas, in response to audio signals, such as typical expressions of commentators.
PCT Application PCT/FR91/00296 describes a procedure and device for modifying a zone in successive images. The images show a non-deformable target zone which has register marks nearby. The system searches for the register marks and uses them to determine the location of the zone. A previously prepared image can then be superimposed on the zone. The register marks are any easily identifiable marks (such as crosses or other "graphemes") within or near the target zone. The system of PCT/FR91/00296 produces the captured image at many resolutions and utilizes the many resolutions in its identification process.